Qian Kun narrowed his eyes and stared at him.
“Who is the strongest freshman in your Beastification Academy this year?”
Lin Yuan looked him straight in the eye. “I’ll fight him. If he wins, I’ll give up the S-rank benefits without another word. But if I win…”
Lin Yuan paused, his voice clear and powerful.
“Then from now on, no one says a damn word about my S-rank status.”
Qian Kun was momentarily stunned, but then he burst into laughter—not out of mockery, but genuine appreciation.
“Good kid, you’ve got guts!”
He immediately turned toward the door and shouted, “Get Qi Feng in here!”
Less than two minutes later, the meeting room door was pushed open.
A tall, thin young man walked in. His black hair was cropped extremely short, and his amber eyes were exceptionally rare; deep within his pupils, there were vertical slits like those of a bird of prey.
He had his hands in his pockets and looked completely indifferent, letting out a yawn as he entered.
S-rank Ancient Dragon Eagle ability, Tier 2, Level 1, Eight Rounds of Bone Tempering!
The moment Qi Feng entered, his gaze locked onto Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan also looked up at him.
One standing and one sitting, separated by the long conference table, neither spoke first.
In the air between them, two invisible fields of pressure clashed violently.
“You’re Lin Yuan?” Qi Feng tilted his head.
“And you’re the bird?” Lin Yuan retorted flatly.
“Damn,” Qi Feng cursed, but he didn't look angry. Instead, he grinned.
Qian Kun and Zhao Cangming exchanged a look.
Zhao Cangming stood up, slamming his hands on the table. “Since this is a duel between top freshmen, let’s add some stakes!”
Qian Kun’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you want?”
“Blood Condensation Realm!”
As those words left his mouth, the meeting room fell into a dead silence for three full seconds!
Above bone tempering lay the Blood Condensation Realm!
While bone tempering was about forging the skeleton, blood condensation was about reshaping the bloodline. High-quality cultivation materials for the Blood Condensation Realm were extremely scarce nationwide, and S-rank materials were virtually impossible to find on the open market.
“S-rank Blood Condensation Realm cultivation materials,” Shen Man said, holding up one finger.
“Whichever side wins gets the materials! Dean Zhao, what do you think?”
Zhao Cangming rubbed his shiny bald head and grinned.
“I’ve got no problem with that! Lin Yuan belongs to my Thunder Academy. He’s already at nine rounds of bone tempering, so he’ll be pushing for blood condensation sooner or later. These materials will be the perfect prize for him!”
Qian Kun fell silent for a moment and glanced at Qi Feng.
Qi Feng simply shrugged with his hands still in his pockets, looking unconcerned.
“Fine! The Beastification Academy can afford S-rank blood condensation materials!”
“Then it’s settled.”
Zhou Zhenyuan spoke with finality, and everyone instinctively sat up straighter.
“During the freshman convocation opening ceremony, Lin Yuan will face Qi Feng. The winner will receive one set of S-rank Blood Condensation Realm cultivation materials. The loser…”
He paused, opened his eyes, and swept his gaze over the two of them.
“...has nothing to be ashamed of. To have the courage to stand on that stage is already to have surpassed the vast majority of people.”
With the Vice Principal speaking, no one dared to object further.
Qian Kun stood up and patted Qi Feng on the shoulder. “Let’s go. Back to prepare.”
Qi Feng nodded. Before leaving, he looked back at Lin Yuan with a smile on his face. His voice was clear: “See you at the convocation. Don’t disappoint me.”
Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs, replying calmly, “You too. Don’t blame me for being ruthless when you get electrocuted into a roasted bird.”
The people in the meeting room began to disperse one by one.
Zhao Cangming walked up to Lin Yuan and looked him over, his bald head reflecting the light brilliantly.
“Kid, those blood condensation materials aren't just for show. Once you win, come find me at the Thunder Academy. I’ll personally teach you the cultivation methods for the Blood Condensation Realm!”
Lin Yuan stood up and gave a slight nod. “Thank you, Dean Zhao.”
Zhao Cangming waved a hand dismissively as he strode away.
“Don’t thank me. You’re a student of my Thunder Academy!”
Finally, Shen Man and Lin Yuan walked out of the meeting room together.
The corridor was exceptionally quiet. Shen Man asked as they walked, “Have you seen Qi Feng’s file?”
“No. I only know he has the S-rank Ancient Dragon Eagle, Tier 2, Level 1, and Eight Rounds of Bone Tempering.”
“The Ancient Dragon Eagle is a top-tier beastification ability. He can fly at low altitudes, is incredibly fast, and excels at aerial strikes. His weakness is his relatively low defense.”
Shen Man’s tone was uncharacteristically serious as she glanced at him. “Are you sure you can win?”
Lin Yuan clasped his hands behind his head, his pace relaxed. “Teacher Shen, when have you ever seen me do something I wasn't sure about?”
Shen Man ruthlessly called him out. “I have. When you were registering for the college entrance exam in Hangzhou.”
Lin Yuan was momentarily speechless. “...That was different.”
Only Shen Man and Lin Yuan remained in the corridor.
Lin Yuan pulled the meeting room door shut and immediately asked, “Teacher Shen, why was that old man Qian Kun targeting me? I don't think I've ever met him before.”
Shen Man leaned against the wall, hands in her pockets, her tone lazy.
“He wasn't targeting you specifically. He just can't stand the idea of S-rank benefits being given to a freshman who awakened at F-rank.”
She paused and then added, “And it’s not just Qian Kun. Most of the teachers and mentors from the other academies have their objections too.”
“It’s just that Qian Kun is blunt and said it directly. The others... they’re holding it in, waiting for you to fail so they can jump out and say something.”
Lin Yuan nodded.
Alright, he understood now.
Simply put, they weren't convinced.
An F-rank ability user receiving S-rank treatment had never happened in the history of Magic City Academy.
If he were a teacher, he’d probably have a few things to say about it himself.
“Then let them deal with it for now,” Lin Yuan said.
The corners of Shen Man’s mouth curled up. Just as she was about to speak, the sound of footsteps came from behind them.
The steps were steady and unhurried.
Both of them turned around at the same time.
At the end of the corridor, Vice Principal Zhou Zhenyuan was walking toward them.
His dark gray robes shimmered with hidden patterns under the lights. His steps weren't large, but his presence seemed to quiet the entire hallway.
Lin Yuan and Shen Man immediately stood straight and bowed slightly. “Principal Zhou.”
Zhou Zhenyuan waved a hand, signaling them not to worry about formalities.
He stopped in front of Lin Yuan, his gaze lingering on him for a moment.
It wasn't a scrutinizing look, but more like he was confirming something.
“Lin Yuan,” Zhou Zhenyuan spoke. His voice was low but deep.
“You may go to the S-rank Secret Technique Pavilion now to obtain your secret technique.”
Lin Yuan was taken aback.
Shen Man was also stunned and blurted out, “Principal Zhou, wasn't it said that we had to wait until after the duel at the freshman convocation...”
“Qi Feng has already learned his secret technique. Lin Yuan should learn his as well,” Zhou Zhenyuan interrupted her, his tone flat.
At those words, Shen Man swallowed the rest of her sentence.
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